A recent report suggests the Pittsburgh Steelers are targeting three specific free-agent quarterbacks in 2022. Here’s what each QB could offer the team.
The biggest question surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason is what the team will do to fill the void left by Ben Roethlisberger. Currently, just Mason Rudolph is under contract, and the Steelers are expected to retain Dwayne Haskins as well. However, this group clearly needs an upgrade.
Recently, Pro Football Network NFL Insider, Tony Pauline, reported the latest of what he is hearing on Pittsburgh and their QB situation in 2022. Pauline speculates that the team is targeting Malik Willis in the NFL Draft, but as far as free agents go, here are the players the Steelers reportedly have their sights set on:
1. Steelers targeting Mitch Trubisky
The first free-agent name Pauline mentions in connection with the Steelers is Bills quarterback, Mitchel Trubisky. Despite his backup status over the past few seasons, Trubisky is a former 2nd overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and has some good traits to work with.
Trubisky gets a really bad rap because he was drafted ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, however, he probably deserves another chance as a starter. He has a 29-21 career record and put up very respectable numbers as a Pro Bowler in 2018 to go with his 11-3 record that season.
Trubisky would not be a long-term option for the Steelers, but perhaps the hope would be that he could revive his career similar to the way Ryan Tannehill did when he joined the Titans. Trubisky has athletic traits that would make him a good fit for Pittsburgh’s offense as a bridge quarterback, and he’s one of the names I routinely link to the Steelers because of the scheme fit.
2. Steelers targeting Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston was a name that has been linked to the Steelers for a few years now and is one of the passers mentioned in connection to Pittsburgh, according to Tony Pauline. Still, many fans are not thrilled about the idea of bringing in a quarterback who has turned the ball over at a historic rate. However, it’s not hard to see why the Steelers would have some interest.
Despite his poor decision-making at times, Winston does have a big arm, and while he’s not a great athlete, he moves pretty well within the pocket. In fact, from a size and athleticism standpoint, Winston shares a lot of similarities to Ben Roethlisberger later in his career.
The Steelers could view Winston as a stop-gap QB who could give them a bit of a spark. Though he is coming off an ACL tear, his arm is noticeably bigger than Roethlisberger’s post-elbow injury, and he has the ability to open things up with the downfield passing game.
Winston is far from my favorite option for the Steelers, but he checks the boxes they typically look for when it comes to size and arm talent. I think there’s some truth to Pittsburgh eying him this offseason.
3. Steelers targeting Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater is the third free-agent quarterback mentioned by Tony Pauline in his report. While he’s probably the best game-manager of the group, he doesn’t offer much big-play upside at all.
Bridgewater’s career path has been that of a low-level starter. He turns 30 years old next season, and he’s a guy who should probably be supplanted as soon as a better option comes along. Bridgewater has a modest career record of 33-30 playing for four different teams since entering the league back in 2014.
For the Steelers, Bridgewater would probably be the 2022 starter and stop-gap QB who could get them to a record around .500. If the defense returns to form next season, Bridgewater’s ability to manage the game and take care of the football could still be good enough to get them to 9-10 wins.
At the end of the day, the fact that the Steelers are eying three low-end starters in free agency shows that they are not looking for a long-term option with a veteran and that the plan is probably still to build through the NFL Draft. Still, Pittsburgh probably believes that these three guys would be better options than Rudolph or Haskins if they had to start early in the 2022 season.